MOM To Prosecute Tipper Corporation

This news story appeared on Channel NewsAsia on 11 January 2009:

MOM to prosecute Tipper Corporation for failing to pay salaries on time

SINGAPORE: The Manpower Ministry (MOM) will be prosecuting Tipper Corporation for failing to pay the salaries of its workers on time.

It added that similar action will be considered for Gates Offshore and Goldrich Venture once investigations have been completed.

MOM will also be prosecuting Tipper Corporation, and its two sub-contractors, S1 Engineering and UPNB, for their involvement in the illegal deployment of foreign workers hired by Tipper, to other companies.

All five companies have been barred from hiring new foreign workers.

MOM has been investigating into the salary claims and housing conditions of foreign workers of Tipper Corporation, Gates Offshore and Goldrich Venture.

MOM said the salary arrears of the 276 foreign workers from Gates Offshore and Goldrich Venture have been fully paid on Friday, while 421 foreign workers under Tipper Corporation have accepted an offer to settle their salary arrears through instalments.

Some 160 of them also received their first instalments on Friday.

The workers were told by MOM that they can choose to return home, or to be placed on a list of foreign workers available to be hired by other employers.

MOM is also investigating allegations that Gates Offshore and Goldrich Venture failed to provide medical care to workers who reported sick.